Folding brush



W. R. McDERMOTT AND C. E. SHOWALTER.

FOLDING BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1919.

1,391,783, Patentgdsept. 27,1921;

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ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. MGDERMOTT AND CHARLES E. SHOWALTER, OF SEATTLE, WASHING-TON FOLDING BRUSH.

Application filed April 14, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. MODER- MOTT and CHARLES E. SHOWALTER, citizens of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in brushes and more particularly to improve ments in the art of manufacturing brushes of the type that are adapted to be folded into a neat and compact package that may be easily carried in the pocket of a persons clothes.

The object of our invention is to provide a brush of relatively cheap and simple form of construction having bristles that are operative for brushing purposes when the brush is moved in one direction over the object to be brushed and which may be bent downwardly so that they will all lie insubstantially a single plane thereby permitting the brush to be folded into a thin flat package which may be easily carried in the pocket.

Our invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts of a folding brush as will be more clearly hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a brush constructed in accordance with our invention as it may appear when opened ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal mid-section of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing the brush as it may appear when folded; and

Fig. 4- is a fragmentary sectional view showing one manner of arranging the bristles in the back member to which they are secured.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the drawings. 1 I

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates-a piece of rubber or leather or other similar flexible material that serves as a back or body member for our brush, such back member 5 having a plurality of bristles 6 secured therein in an inclined position, as more clearly shown in Fig. l.

One convenient and practical way of so curing the bristles 6 in the back member 5 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

Serial No. 290,066.

is to double the bristles and then pass the two ends of each bristle upwardly through {)wo adjacent inclined holes in the back mem- After the bristles are secured in the back member 5 such back member 5 is preferably cemented or secured to the middle portion 7 of a leather case or cover member, which case or cover member may have two end flaps 8 and 9 that are arranged so that they will fold over the bristles 6 and so that they .may be secured together by a snap fastener,

\Nhen the brush is to be used it is opened up and is moved over the object that is to be brushed in such a direction that the con tact between the bristles and the object to be brushed tends to bend the bristles into a plane that is perpendicular to the back member 5, as, for instance, if the brush is to be used for brushing the hair the operator will grasp the flap 9 and allow the fingers to lie against the middle portion 7 and will then draw the brush over the hair thereby causing the bristles 6 to tend to straighten up into a perpendicular position with respect to the back member 5, so that they will operate in substantially the same manner as the bristles of any ordinary brush.

It will be understood that our brush may be used as a hair brush or as a clothes brush, or for any other desired purpose and changes may be made in the forms, dimensions and arrangement of parts of our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

What we claim is:

A folding brush of the class described comprising a pliable elongated cover embodying middle and end sections, a single brush back secured to the middle section tions folded With the bristles retained flexed and having laterally directed bristles capathereby. ble of flexing to lie substantially parallel to In Witness whereof, We hereunto subscribe 10 the plane of the middle section, said end our names this 7th day of April, A.D. 1919.

5 sections being adapted to be folded onto the bristles and one upon the other to cover WILLIAM R. MODERMOTT, said bristles, and means to hold the end see- CHARLES E. SHOWALTER. 

